Milestones

She always wanted to go into law, and she always wanted to give back to her community.

In high school, she did some volunteering with environmental groups, and she also had a deep love of Hawaiian culture.

She’d planned to just do a pre-law program, but an advisor encouraged her to talk to a Hawaiian studies counselor.

They worked out a Hawaiian studies course for her, with a focus on Hawaiian politics and natural resource management.

She then went to law school at the William S. Richardson School of Law at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa.

She became one of very few people in the world to earn a certificate in Native Hawaiian law.

After school, she started at NOAA; she works on the Marine National Monument Program, which oversees four national monuments.

The four monuments protect over 330,000 square miles of water, and diverse coral, fish and seabird populations.

Keep following my journey

Education

High School

BachelorCultural Studies/Critical Theory and AnalysisUniversity of Hawaii at Manoa

GraduateBusiness Administration and Management, GeneralUniversity of Hawaii at Manoa

DoctorateLawUniversity of Hawaii at Manoa

Career

Natural Resource Policy Management Specialist

I advocate for environmental and cultural policy related to marine protected areas in the Pacific.

Career Roadmap

My work combines:

My work combines:

Law

Environment & Nature

Helping People

Day to Day

A lot of what I do is working with partners to get our mandates done. A good day at work includes meeting with partners and making progress on these mandates, even when stances differ. Any time that I am learning new things about my field is a good day.

Skills & Qualities Beyond School

It really helps that I have a background in Hawaiian culture and language. Though this was not part of the requirements for my position, I feel that it is valued highly at my organization and a big part of the work I do each day. This may sound cliche, but having a good attitude and being a "people person" goes a long way. The ability to create and maintain partnerships and relationships on behalf of my organization is priceless.

Advice for Getting Started

Here's the first step for high school students

Start volunteering for organizations that promote what you are passionate about. Get to know the people who are experts in that field. See if you can gain a mentor in one of these people at a very early stage.

Recommended Education

My career is related to what I studied. I'd recommend the path I took:

BachelorCultural Studies/Critical Theory and Analysis

GraduateBusiness Administration and Management, General

DoctorateLaw

Hurdles

The Noise I Shed

From Myself:

"I'm never going to get into law school, I should just do something easier. "

Self-doubt comes naturally in situations where you are challenging yourself, but I leaned on the support of my family, community, and friends.

Challenges I Overcame

Financial

Financial

I grew up in poverty. The only way to change this was to work really hard and not give up.